Painless therapy

As a prequel to the morning coffee inhalation down at the Mule Barn coffee shop, the members of the world dilemma think tank were found at the break of day, armed with fly rods, in their other guise as charter members of the Lewis Creek Piscatorial Pursuit Alliance.

“I like your presentation, Dud,” said Doc, waving his hand-tied midge through the air. A presentation is fly-fishing-speak for how you wave your line through the air and set it down on the water.

“Thanks, Doc. That double-haul cast of yours is a work of beauty. Look at Steve over there. Ever see anyone pull the line out of the reel and extend his cast that well?”

“Thanks,” said Steve. “But I keep watching how Doc does it and I know I’m not in the same league.”

“You’re too kind,” said Doc.

“I think a good part of it is just using this mayfly dry that Marvin tied for me. This thing just hangs suspended over the creek like it was a helicopter,” Doc said.

“I do my best,” Marvin said, casting a stonefly nymph upstream, “but we all know it isn’t the fly so much as it is the way it’s presented to the fish.”

Half an hour later, they were seated and sipping at the philosophy counter at the Mule Barn. No one had caught anything that morning, but it didn’t stop them all from feeling really good about themselves.

Fishing can be painlessly therapeutic. You can look it up.

‑ Brought to you by “A Home Country Minute” with Slim Randles, coming to a television station near you. Want a sneak peek? www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMVxpRLzvVY